Businesses succeed and fail based upon their level of presence on the internet. Each business has its own method for bringing in new leads or selling more products, and the king among the digital marketing methods is SEO, or Search Engine Optimization.
SEO is incredibly important in growing a business and so it tends to be incredibly competitive. Having a results-oriented and experienced SEO consultant can be the difference between some leads and consistent growth in leads. If you are in a place that you have a marketing budget and you are seriously working towards growing your business, you should consider consulting with a SEO consultant today.
What exactly is SEO and how does it work?
SEO or Search Engine Optimization is the process of acquiring highly-qualified leads through search engine results, such as Google or Bing. This is accomplished through high Search Engine rankings on keywords that people search when looking for either a product or service.
The appealing benefit to search engine optimization is that it generates “free” organic traffic bringing leads directly to your front door, inbox, or voicemail. You do not pay for the high rankings on the search engine, but rather you pay an SEO Consultant or Agency for the work they do to get you higher rankings and more organic traffic to your website.
I’ve always said that SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. So, if you are looking to pursue this inbound marketing method for your business, make sure to set goals for about 6-12 months out. That tends to be the amount of time necessary to achieve great SEO results which lead to a steady stream of organic traffic and new sales/leads.
For a further and deeper understanding on how SEO works, read The Beginner’s Guide to SEO by Moz.
What does a SEO consultant do?
An SEO consultant is a digital marketer who specializes in improving search engine results with the overall goal of increasing organic traffic to a website. A great SEO consultant will not only improve organic traffic to your website, they will also improve the number of potential clients or sales for a business. When picking an SEO consultant to work with, be sure that you choose someone who understands the value behind new leads and product sales. It is very common for many SEO consultants to focus only on achieving higher rankings on Google.
Yes it is good to have a lot of organic traffic but only if that traffic turns into revenue for your business.
Here are 5 questions you should ask a SEO consultant that you are considering working with:
- How are you Going to Improve My Business’s Rankings on Google?
- What is your typical timeframe for seeing good SEO results?
- What industries have you worked with before? Have you worked with my industry?
- What would you consider a good SEO campaign/strategy?
- What type of backlinking do you use?
- Do you charge monthly or hourly?
Common SEO Services offered
SEO is a simplified term for a wide range of services that group together to make the whole.
It can further be broken down into a variety of different SEO tactics and strategies including but not limited to backlink profile building, on-page optimization, SEO audits, website tracking, technical SEO, content marketing, local SEO, schema, and much more.
Every Great SEO Service will definitely include:
- Technical SEO
- On-Page Optimization
- Off-Page Optimizations
- Backlink Building
- Website Tracking and Analysis
- Content Marketing
- Schema/Rich Markup
- Website Improvements and Optimizations
The important thing for you to know as a business owner is what are the main responsibilities and what you should consider when choosing an SEO Consultant to work with. Don’t settle with the first SEO company you work with. Find a company or a consultant that works well with you and your goals. And, remember, find someone who has gotten results in the past for many different clients.
How much is SEO per month?
SEO Services tend to break down into two types of costs: hourly work and monthly managed.
If you are considering hourly SEO work:
One, find out how much the SEO charges per an hour. A good SEO Consultant or Agency will be anywhere from $150-$300/hour. Next, be sure to have a clear understanding of your online goals and objectives. Once you have that, ask the consultant/agency how much billable hours they will expect to take to get the job done.
I find that SEO hourly work is best for companies that already have a marketing team and need a bit more help with a very specific or highly specialized skill that they do not have in house.
If you are considering SEO on a monthly basis:
This is, in my biased opinion, the best option for the best success. SEO is very similar to a good fitness regime, it’s never quite over. It takes consistent effort to keep and improve upon rankings on search engines such as Google. That is where the monthly managed SEO plans come in. On average, a good SEO who can get you stellar results will charge you anywhere from $5000-$20,000/month. Remember, the return on investment should always be worth it. So only hire professional SEO Consultants or Agencies that have gotten results for clients in the past.
Consider Contacting an Experienced SEO Consultant
When should you hire an SEO professional? When you have the budget to do so! Note: there is never perfect time to hire an SEO consultant, it’s different for every business.
I invite you to reach out and give me a call at 720-921-5485 or send me an email via the contact form below. If I cannot help you, then I will be sure to point you in the right direction for who can.
